Phoenix Coyotes' consistency likely will continue

by Jim Gintonio - Dec. 13, 2009 04:21 PMThe Arizona Republic

The Coyotes are one of the surprise teams of the NHL, just like they were at a key point last season. They entered the All-Star break with five wins in seven games after defeating the then-reigning Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings 6-3 at Jobing.com Arena.

The high did not last long.

They lost six in a row, nine of 10, and faded out of the Western Conference playoff race.

Another defining moment awaits the Coyotes. Winners of six of their past seven as they near the midpoint of the season, they play the Red Wings Monday night in Detroit. This one game, of course, won't decide the Coyotes' fate, and this is not the same powerful Red Wings team, but for an emerging team like the Coyotes, it remains a measuring stick.

There are reasons - mainly recent history - to argue that the Coyotes may stumble. But there are more reasons to think the consistency the team has shown will continue.

Coaching

It took only one practice under coach Dave Tippett to see that to see that the "old Coyotes" were indeed a thing of the past.

He likes to talk about the "pack mentality" of an underdog, and players know they will be held accountable. It is not uncommon for players, no matter how they figure into the scheme of things, to see reduced ice time for not producing.

Tippett led the Dallas Stars to the playoffs in five of six seasons. Getting the Coyotes into the postseason was foremost in his mind when he took over for Wayne Gretzky a week before the season began.

"Every game, we go into it with the mind-set we're going to do whatever it takes to win, get points," Tippett said. "To me, that consistency in what we're trying to do is what's going to lead to collecting points and giving yourself the best chance to make the playoffs."

Goaltending

Ilya Bryzgalov is emerging into one of the top goalies in the league. He has 18 wins, only eight fewer than all of 2008-09, and four shutouts, one more than his total a year ago, with a goals-against average of 1.95, down from 2.98.

A few things figure into his improvement: New goalie coach Sean Burke has Bryzgalov playing to his strengths around the net; the big Russian is far more consistent in blocking shots, cutting down the angles and controlling rebounds; and he's getting a lot of help in front of the net from his teammates.

All that has gone a long way in the recent success on penalty-kills, including a streak of 20 in a row which ended Saturday night against San Jose.

'Pack mentality'

This is more than a catchy phrase. It is something the Coyotes needed to develop. Without a big-time scorer, everyone has to contribute. Here's an example: The San Jose Sharks have outscored the Coyotes by 32 points this season but have lost both head-to-head meetings and have only one goal. It's that "us-against-the world" mentality that has served the Coyotes well. Earlier this season, with defensive standouts Ed Jovanovski and Zbynek Michalek out with injuries, the Coyotes were able to stand their ground.

They quickly bought into Tippett's structured style of play, which has helped them win games they likely would have lost a season ago and also enhances the probability that they will not go into a late-season swoon.

Another key component is a veteran presence, a drastic change from the youth-oriented rosters of the past two seasons. Key off-season acquisitions made by General Manager Don Maloney have helped trigger the revitalization.

Shane Doan

The Coyotes captain is the last holdover from the 2002 playoff team.

He sets the example on and off the ice, and it's his leadership that has helped the Coyotes reach this point. Doan, who has bridged the gap between old and new, will be playing in his 998th game tonight.

After what seems like an eternity since his last postseason appearance, Doan likely will rev up his game even more as the second half approaches.

And defeating the Red Wings on their home ice would be a good way to get that jump-started.

Phoenix Coyotes' Ilya Bryzgalov (30), celebrates his shutout win with teammate Keith Yandle (3) at the end of the third period after an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, in Glendale.

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Saturday: Coyotes (21-12-2) at Ducks (13-14-7)Where: Honda Center, Anaheim. | When: 2 p.m. Radio: KGME-AM (910). Coyotes update: Phoenix is on the final game of a four-game road trip, looking for its third straight win. The Coyotes, sixth in the Western Conference, are 8-1-1 in their past 10 games. RW Radim Vrbata leads with 11 goals, and he and LW Shane Doan have 19 points apiece. Forwards Daniel Winnik and Taylor Pyatt have plus-10 ratings.Ducks update: Anaheim, a 4-1 loser to San Jose on Thursday night, is last in the West. C Ryan Getzlaf (30 assists, 38 points) and RW Corey Perry (37 points) are two of the focal points of the Ducks' offense.